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My Dyslexia

Having the skill to write, spell, and punctuate has never been my strong suit. Growing up as a young child I was always nurtured to be creative and artistic which came naturally to me but I could never quite grasp written language. I now know that it's a learning disabilty with a name: DYSLEXIA.

I write from the heart and I make my best effort to get the words on the page properly but as you'll see I don't always succeed. I ask you to enjoy what I write and post but to be understanding and kind. Brian

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Recently, the kind ladies at Back Door Quilts gave us all an
opportunity to experience a bit of the Downton Abbey magic. They hosted a lovely tea that Lady Grantham would have been proud to attend.

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They also invited us to
step back in time and come dressed in vintage styles popular at the turn of the century and worn by the characters of the PBS hit series, Downton Abbey.

My Assistant, Jody-my Mom,Debbie-
and good friend, Cathy

I was very honored to be asked to speak
during the tea. I have known Linda and Teri, the owners of the Back

Kevin and me with our lovely hostesses,
Linda and Teri

Door, since I was eleven. We won't discuss how many years that has been. Let’s just say, a lot! They have always been so supportive and they gave me one of my first teaching jobs at the tender age of sixteen.

I presented a crazy quilt block that I made using the
new

Downton Abbey fabrics. They have become so popular!

The crazy quilt inspired by the Downton Abbey fabrics

I wanted to reflect a vintage feel while making this piece. My choices of stitches,trims and buttons emphasized that style. If you want to see more of the Downton Abbey inspired fabrics ,the full line is available at the Back Door .

I also shared some information about the customs and habits in vogue during this period. The gentlemen and

Kevin and me
Looking every bit the
English gentlemen

gentlewomen had such elegance and grace. Their homes and lifestyle were on such a grand scale, I find it fascinating.

Most of the attendees got into the spirit of
the day anddressed in vintage costumes from various Downton Abbey time
periods. Everyone looked fabulous and some even pulledtrue antique pieces out of grandma's cedar chest, to complete their looks.

Doesn't everyone look fantastic?!

Robin Brown
Looking stylish in
her vintage hat.

It was enjoyable wandering through times gone by for just a
little while, and bringing a little of the Downton Abbey elegance to Indy.

Debbie, Jody, Me,
Kevin and Cathy

Much thanks to Linda and Teri for providing
such a charming backdrop!

Right now, I am hard at work preparing for my
trip to Ireland. For those of you joining me on this journey, see you very
soon. Not to worry if you aren't making the trip though, I will be posting tale
of our adventures upon my return.

Today, I would like to share a project with you that has been a “labor of
love” for me.

Since my main focus on the blog has been about
quilting and fabric design, some of you may not know that I am also an interior
decorator. Over the past eighteen years I have had the pleasure of working with
many wonderful clients. It has been gratifying for me to help them realize their vision of what will make their homes beautiful and unique.

Recently, I had the happy opportunity to be able to do this for my parents, in their new home. Their dream home has lots of room with high ceilings and plenty of gathering space for the family. Oh, and a big garage for my dad.

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My parents, Richard and Debbie Haggard are pictured below. They are an energetic pair that, are always going and doing. Mom likes to shop and Dad likes to take her and wait patiently while she looks. They are both very artistic, so I guess the apple didn't fall far from the trees.

Here they are in their new living room.

Aren't they cute!

I selected black for the walls in this room because I knew it would make the white wainscotting pop. The black also goes well with the colonial furnishings. The color worked even better than I had hoped.

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I wanted this part of the living space to
resemble an old early american tavern.

Over the years, my parents have collected many wonderful
antiques and interesting pieces. One of my biggest challenges has been deciding which pieces from the treasure trove of goodies, I would use in my design. This was difficult at times because I have fond memories of so many of them.

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My parents like the authentic colonial style and lean towards that when decorating. My mother also has a very soft spot in
her heart for the white-on-cream shabby chic look, so I tried hard to combine the two.

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We found this wonderful old window and decided to hang it in what Mom calls her sun room. It is a small sitting room in the front of the house and does get very sunny. I added some interest with the mural and urns. We designed this room in the Shabby Chic she loves so much.

Below are some other design elements of the room.

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This is a closer look
at one of the urns

A millinery mannequin that caught our eye
one day

Birds, books and vines

Sewing, bits and bobs!

~~H~~The pretty lady on the right of this picture is my Mom and some of you probably recognize the sweet lady on her left. That is my able assistant, Jody Baker. Jody keeps me organized on the road and is a talented fabric artist herself. She is also a close family friend and loves spending time with my folks. You never know what these two might be getting up to next!

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Here are Jody, mom and dad enjoying the new house

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I added a few pops of color to this shabby chic parlor, but the furnishings still hold true to the colonial style that suits this gathering spot so well. I wanted to showcase the high ceilings and sunny openness of this room without losing any of the coziness.

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This little niche was the perfect place to put one of my mom's favorite paintings.

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My dad picked one of the big rooms upstairs, as his lounging, TV watching, napping, work room. We carried the color, as well as the heavy pieces of furniture up the stairs and down the hall to his more masculine but still colonial style room.

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Dad's desk. Yes, those legs are made of cast iron.

Yes, these units were VERY heavy!

Some of my mom's oil paintings that dad wanted
in his room

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This wall was bit of a problem area because of it's width and placement in the room. I worked around this by using a small antique chest and added height by going up from there. Isn't the small Windsor chair adorable!

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What colonial home would be
complete without
pewter dishes.

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Well, I guess that's all of the tour for now. Like most things, this is still a work in progress. We haven't even begun to work on the fireplace and we need to find a great place to put all of mom's antique dolls!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my folks new home as much as I have enjoyed helping create it and sharing it with you.

Wishing them many years of health and happiness in their beautiful new home.